Leaders from Muslim communities in nine swing states held a conference in Michigan on Saturday, pledging to withdraw their support for President Joe Biden over his failure to negotiate a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
The #AbandonBiden National Coalition, representing sizeable Muslim minorities across the country, now threatens to sway the 2024 election against Biden, punishing him for abandoning Arab voters.
In a press conference in Dearborn, Michigan (home of the country’s largest Arab population) Muslim leaders from Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin denounced the Biden administration’s stance on the war, which thus far has favored full support for Israel’s campaign in Gaza while negotiating for humanitarian pauses.
“Muslim Americans have come together finally to state in completely clear terms that the position of the Biden administration … is a red line for all Muslim Americans,” said #AbandonBiden spokesman and sociology professor Hassan Abdel Salam from behind a podium decorated with an “Abandon Biden, Ceasefire Now” sign.
While some leaders used their statements only as a warning for Biden to change his stance, others declared that the president had already irreparably lost their vote.
“You won by 20,000 votes. We will change the vote,” said Tarek Amin from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “We will swing it and we won’t be standing with you this upcoming election.”
Jaylani Hussein, the Minneapolis-based activist who helped to organize the conference, echoed this sentiment in a statement to the Associated Press. “Families and children are being wiped out with our tax dollars,” he said. “What we are witnessing today is the tragedy upon tragedy.”
“The anger in our community is beyond belief. One of the things that made us even more angry is the fact that most of us actually voted for President Biden,” he continued. “I even had one incident where a religious leader asked me, ‘How do I get my 2020 ballot so I can destroy it?”
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The latest numbers reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health indicate that 15,200 Palestinians—two-thirds of them women and minors—have been killed since Israel launched its retaliatory strike in October. Between 1,200 and 1,400 Israelis have also been killed, most in the initial Hamas incursion on October 7.
However, the fact that the Gaza Health Ministry, like the rest of the region’s government, is controlled directly by Hamas has led American officials to question the official death tolls, making it difficult for the US to strike a balanced approach. Just last week, President Biden reportedly met with a group of Palestinian activists in an off-the-record meeting, during which he apologized for questioning the Ministry’s report.
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According to Pew Research Center, roughly 3.45 million Americans—or 1.1 percent of the population—identify as Muslim, and upwards of 65 percent of the demographic favors the Democratic Party. But as the conflict in Gaza continues and the civilian death toll rises, President Biden’s support in the Arab community may quickly evaporate. According to an October poll sponsored by the Arab American Institute, support for the president among Muslims has already dropped by 42 percent.
The full brunt of the Muslim community’s displeasure, as well as that of its allies, was on display last month when a pro-Palestine mob surrounded the White House, vandalized the front gates, and attempted to breach the perimeter in a mass demonstration.
“We are not powerless as American Muslims; we are powerful,” Hussein declared during the conference. “We don’t only have the money, but we have the actual votes. And we will use that vote to save this nation from itself.”
However, as Hussein and his fellow activists were quick to point out, turning on Biden did not indicate a sudden upspring in support for former President Donald Trump, the current Republican frontrunner.
“We don’t have two options. We have many options. And we’re going to exercise that,” Hussein said.
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